Good Enough
by WritePassion
Summary: Sam learns that he and Elsa's son Evan have more in common than he thought.
1. Chapter 1

_Burn Notice: I don't own it, I just play with it._

_Season 6 spoilers, much of it takes place after episode 6.07 Reunion._

**Good Enough**

By WritePassion

One of the biggest driving desires in a child's life is to be loved. Somewhere along the line, he learned that in order to be loved, he had to be good enough. So he drove himself to be the best at whatever he took an interest in. He learned to fish, but his father was always better, from fly tying to cleaning the fish. He had a gift for throwing, so he joined the football team in high school. First Junior Varsity, where his team made all-county with him as quarterback. Then he advanced to Varsity and sent the team to the state championship three years running. But he could never quite break the records his father set while he went to the same school. He would always be second best.

But that didn't stop Sam from trying. He earned a scholarship and went to college. His dad was a Navy man, and like him, Sam would be as well, hoping that would make his father proud. He went to Annapolis and graduated in the top five of his class. He had a knack for intelligence gathering and ops, so he joined the SEALs. The covert group wasn't easy to get into, and when he walked away from the podium with the golden eagle and trident insignia pinned to his chest, he glowed with pride.

"Sir," he said as he stepped up to face his parents. His mother beamed as Sam gave his father a crisp salute. Any second now, when his father's return salute faded away, he would finally hear the words he waited all his life to hear: "You did good, Son."

"Congratulations, Son. But I'd work on the marksmanship skills. You need to be able to switch hands if necessary." He shook his head. "You could have been first in your class if you hadn't screwed that up."

No matter what Sam did, it was never good enough.

As a SEAL, he and his team took down a lot of bad people, rescued important dignitaries, and saved both the mighty and the weak from one disaster after another. He earned every one of his ribbons through exhausting, hard work. Just off a mission he sported two, one a purple heart, and a sling because of an injury he sustained while saving a kidnapped ambassador's daughter. Barely out of the base hospital, Sam received a phone call from his mother.

"Samuel, it's your father. He doesn't have long."

Sam moved heaven and earth to get home, and he appeared in his father's hospital room wearing his dress uniform. Captain Samuel Axe, Sr., earned his rank and deserved proper respect for his stellar career, so he didn't dare to disappoint him. By the sound of his breathing, Sam knew it was almost over. If he'd grasped his hand, he would have sensed how cold it was. But he hadn't touched him in years. Whenever they were in the same room, eye contact and a salute were as close as they got to physical interaction.

He looked up at Sam, and a very slight smile stretched across his stiff lips when he saw the salute. His mind told him that he was too tired to return it, but Captain Axe would not let this moment of weakness defeat him. Slowly, painfully so, he raised his hand to his brow and responded to his son's display of respect. The hand came down quickly when it was over, but even then he managed to not make the motion anything less than dignified.

"Sir..." Conflict crinkled the corners of Sam's eyes. "Dad, I..."

"You got hurt." Capt. Axe spoke softly as his eyes stopped at the sling.

"It's nothing, Dad. We got the girl, she's safe."

"Next time, keep a tighter rein on your men." When Sam stared at him incredulously, he added, "I saw... the report. You need to be... a better... leader."

Capt. Axe's eyes closed, exhaustion overtaking him. Those were the last words that Sam would ever hear from his lips.

From that day, those words kept him pressing on to do his best until he found himself out of the Navy and enjoying an early retirement because he screwed up in a major way. But even then, he worked hard at a life of leisure, drinking and finding rich women to woo and sponge off so he could forget how he'd failed his father and disgraced himself. Meeting up with Michael Westen again and helping him slowly brought back the old Sam Axe, the one who cared about doing a job right. Then he met a woman who loved him for who he was and made him feel that no matter what he did, as long as he gave it his best shot, she was happy. For Elsa, he would do anything. But was he good enough for her? That remained to be seen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Evan was a good son, despite having a wild streak. His parents loved him, he'd always known that, and almost whatever he wanted, he got. A Porsche for his 16th birthday. His own well-appointed home at 18. He could do or be anything he wanted to be, but when he reached that magic number, his father asked only one thing of him: that he go to college, take a business track, and learn what he needed to know to take over the hotel when he was gone. But Evan didn't want the family business. He wasn't good with numbers and details of running a hotel. He worked with his hands, fixing up cars with his friends, and sometimes that involved going to the seedier side of life and seeing how the other half lived. As long as his parents were financing his life, he didn't have to worry about being one of those people who had none of the advantages he had.

Life was perfect, because, despite his parents' disapproval, he knew he was loved.

"Evan, please come home. Now. It's important."

By the tone of his mother's voice, he knew something serious happened. Dad had been sick for awhile, but she said he was getting better. He'd been working at the hotel, so he must have been responding well to the treatments. Evan parked in the circular drive, not caring that he did a terrible job. He entered the house and found his parents in the bedroom.

"Dad." Evan came forward and sat on the edge next to his mother. He took his hand, and it was so cold he almost pulled away.

"Son, I've always loved you." Every word came out soft and trembling.

"I know, Dad. I love you too." His voice cracked as tears blurred his vision.

"Take care of your mom. Make sure she's not alone too long." He paused. "And learn the business. For me."

"Okay, Dad. I will. I promise."

Those were the last words his father heard.

After the chaos of hundreds of people visiting them for days on end and the funeral, Elsa and Evan had only each other to cling to until the pain eased. But one thing never changed.

"You promised your father that you would take over the business," she said to him as she sat in her husband's chair at his desk in his office. "You have to go to school so you can take over in a few years!"

"Mom, I only said that to make him happy. I don't wanna run a hotel!" As he spoke, he moved around the large space, waving his hands in the air. "This isn't my thing, it never will be. You've got a head for it, Mom. You should keep running it."

"I'll be right there beside you for the first couple of years and slowly move everything over to you." She stopped him with her hands on his shoulders and a tender smile. "This was so important to your father, can't you see that? How can you dishonor him now by going back on your word? You're going to Yale. You've been accepted and you'll start in the fall."

"Mom!" It pained him to see the hurt in her eyes. But no amount of freaking out or browbeating was going to change either of their minds.

"No arguments, Evan! You gave him your word, and you are not going to spit on his grave by backing out."

She was right. During all the disagreements about his career choice, one thing always came through in his father's lectures: no matter what, your word is your bond. If you don't follow through on your promises, you're bankrupt, and not financially.

"Okay, I'll go."

He lasted one semester, but he didn't tell his mother that. While she thought he was learning how to be a businessman the Yale way, he was living it up. It was easy when the credit cards had no limit. He worked for cash at garages wrestling with anything from an air filter on a Yugo to a fuel injection system on a Lamborghini. He loved every second of it. But he missed home. He missed his mother, even if she did constantly nag him about taking over the business whenever they talked on the phone. Finally, his love for her won out and he admitted the truth. He returned to Miami. By then, she was seeing some guy with a goofy name. Sam Axe. Was that for real? At least the guy took the heat off him. She was too busy playing around with her boy toy to worry about her son.

He moved back into the house, found himself a job he liked but paid very little, and went about as if nothing had changed. He lived life, partied, and gambled to the hilt. It was the gambling that got him into trouble. That and his mother finally deciding to cut him off to let him sink or swim.

"Evan, I love you, but I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"This is about the hotel again, isn't it, Mom."

"No. Although I'm disappointed in you for that, this has nothing to do with whether or not you take over the hotel. You need to grow up, Son, and the only way I can see that happening is if I let you survive on your own. You can stay in the house, but as far as everything else, it's your responsibility."

Desperate times called for desperate measures.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sam and Evan stood across from a nightclub parking lot, preparing to steal a semi that they would turn over to Evan's loan shark, and his debt would be paid and Evan would be out of trouble. For now.

"So tell me Kid, why are you always giving your Ma hell?" Sam took the binoculars from his eyes and turned to Evan.

"You wouldn't understand." He looked away briefly.

With his complete attention on Evan and a sympathetic expression, Sam challenged him. "Try me."

"Well, when my dad died, Mom just became all obsessed about me taking over the family business. She made me work at the hotel, she sent me to Yale..."

With one eyebrow raised, Sam asked, "You went to Yale?"

"I didn't say I finished. She just kept pushing me to be this guy in a suit. I'm not my Dad. I was never good enough for her." He sighed. "See, I knew you wouldn't get it. Never mind."

Evan's words struck a painful chord with Sam, and he found it impossible to keep the latent emotions from showing on his face. "You might be surprised, Kid." He turned away and focused on the truck across the street and the job. But he didn't forget what Evan said. It haunted him in the back of his brain until he and Jesse got him out of trouble with Morris.

Sam had one stop to make first before he was ready to take Evan to Elsa's office to deal with their rift. He parked the car in the lot, turned to Evan and said, "Come on, Kid. Get out."

"What, you're leaving me here at the beach to walk home?"

"No, get out. We're walking. I wanna talk to you about something." He shook his head at the density of the kid's skull and got out of the car. When Evan emerged, he locked it and started heading south on the sidewalk that ran along the beach.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. If anyone would have observed them, they would have noticed that the two walked with a couple of feet of space between them, their hands shoved into their pockets, staring ahead with contemplative expressions on their faces until Sam turned his attention to a vendor cart.

"Hey Kid," he said and inclined his head toward it. "Pina colada slushie for me. What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't care."

"Okay, make that two."

When the vendor finished them and set them on the shelf, Sam looked at Evan.

"What?"

"You're buying, Kiddo."

Evan made a disgusted sound and dug into his pockets for the last of his cash. "You know I'm broke now, Sam."

"Yeah, well my help doesn't come cheap. I shoulda warned you about that before you shanghaied me and Jesse into your little problem." He picked up the cups, turned away, and gave one to Evan after the kid stopped shoving the change into his pocket. "And you're not completely broke. You still have a few bucks."

With a sneer, Evan said, "Well, if a slushie is all it takes to pay you back, I suppose I should consider myself lucky. That's a bargain at three fifty."

"Yeah." He walked to the seawall and sat down, dug into his slushie and took a spoonful. "That's not all, Kid."

The way he said it suddenly made Evan feel like he was in the presence of a mob boss and it was time to pay up for a favor given. "What? I'm sorry, but until I get another repair gig, I'm tapped out."

Sam looked up from his cup, and his eyes locked on Evan's. "I don't want any money from you. Jesse and I, what we did, we... well, at least I, did it for your Ma. She loves you, Evan, even if you're screwing up your life."

"Screwing up my life." He laughed mirthlessly. "I knew she'd see it that way. I suppose you think I should be the dutiful son, go and finish at Yale and become the man in the suit that she wants."

"How do you know you wouldn't like it? You never even gave it a try."

"I worked in the hotel. I know."

"Everybody's gotta start at the bottom, Kid. You can't expect to sit your butt in that comfy leather chair without earning it." He paused and used a straw to sip the melting ice. "If you think your Ma thinks you're not good enough, let me tell you, you couldn't be farther from the truth. My dad, on the other hand, he thought I was the biggest screw up to ever come along."

"Yeah, right. After what I saw today..."

"Seriously. When you were growing up, did you play any sports?"

Evan nodded. "Sure. I played baseball. Why?"

"I bet you played your best, and your Mom was there watching, wasn't she."

He nodded. "My Dad, too." A small smile crossed his face. "They were always cheering the loudest of anybody in the stands. Even when I struck out they were always encouraging me, saying I'd do better next time."

"My Dad, when I played hockey, he'd be the loudest guy in the stands, always yelling at me. 'Wake up, Samuel! A blind man coulda seen that shot!' 'Pick up the pace, boy! Grandma can skate faster than you!'" After he took a spoonful of his slushie, Sam asked, "Is that the kind of stuff you heard?"

"No, man, never!" Evan stared at him. "I had friends with parents like that. I always felt sorry for them."

A silent chuckle shook Sam's shoulders. "Now you know how those kids turned out."

"They take advantage of rich women?"

Sam narrowed his eyes and looked sideways at him. "No, Kid. I spent my entire life trying to get the approval I craved. In the Navy, I worked my butt off and advanced to Commander. I was a SEAL, and it ain't easy to become one." He bowed his head and stared at the cement for a moment, then met Evan's eyes. "To his dying day, my Dad never said he was proud of me, or acknowledged that I'd done a good job."

Evan's registered shock and empathy. "That's harsh, Sam. My Dad was a straight shooter, but he always told me when he thought I did good."

"So why do you repay your Ma with nothing but grief?"

"I don't mean to. It just happens because she doesn't understand."

Sam looked at Evan, and the younger man saw something in his eyes. It was a regret for what he never got, and a fear that mother and son would suffer the same fate.

"Ev, you've got to talk to her. You both need to listen to each other."

"I've already listened. I know what she wants from me, and..."

Sam set his cup down and got off the wall, and he pointed his finger at Evan. "No, you listen to me, Kid! I love your Ma more than anything. I see how this is tearing her up. And I see that the only way to resolve this is for you to talk to her, she talks to you, and both of you listen. If you want her to get on board with your dream, you have to be smart and present it to her. Lay it all out there in detail."

"That's nuts."

Sam put his hands on his hips and asked, "What is your dream, Evan?"

"Like you really care."

"Hey, if I didn't care, I wouldn't have just blown ten minutes of my time listening to you and trying to keep my slushie from melting all over me. Of course, I care!"

Evan smiled and set his cup down next to Sam's. Then he crossed his arms in front of himself. "Okay, I'll tell you what my dream is. I want to have my own shop one day. I'll work on just about anything that's got four wheels and is street worthy." As Evan told Sam about his vision, he watched the older man's face. He really did want to know what was in his head, and the details just started flowing out of him. By the time he finished, Sam was smiling. "What? You think it's dumb?"

"Not at all, Evan." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "It sounds to me like you've got it all figured out, and I think you could really make a go of it." He hesitated.

"Uhoh, here comes the big but."

"I would suggest putting this together in a business plan before you approach your mom."

"A business plan? Aw man, are you serious?"

"Yeah, I know that's one of those things that you should have learned how to do at Yale." Sam picked up his cup and started walking, found a trash can, and threw it away. Evan followed. "Come on, we're going to go see your Ma. I have to stop at my room first and pick something up. Then you and her are going to sit down, relax, and talk. By the time you're done, I want all this bad blood between you gone, so you can move on and do what you want."

"She's not gonna put up with it."

"She will. Just give it a chance."

"You don't know her..."

Sam stopped in his tracks, turned to Evan and pressed an index finger into his chest. "I know her better than you think. She may be angry with you for this mess you've gotten yourself into, but she loves you, and she wants that relationship with you more than anything." He threw an arm around Evan's shoulders and steered him toward the car. "Trust me. It's gonna be okay."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sam thought he was pretty clever sitting Elsa and Evan down in her office with that bottle of tequila and ordering them to drink it all. He waited in the hall, listening through the door. But after one shot, they both made disgusted noises. He was more than a little disappointed. It was strong stuff, yes, and he'd never seen any two men finish a bottle without getting totally hammered, but for them to just write it off after one shot, that was inconceivable.

He was about to go back in, but he listened first. "Mom, Sam seems like a nice guy, but jeez, his taste in booze leaves something to be desired."

She laughed. "I didn't fall in love with him for his taste in liquor."

"Why did you? He's nowhere near like Dad."

"In some ways, he is. Sure, he doesn't dress like him or act all professional, but he has a good heart. He cares about people and helps them. He helped you."

"I don't get it. What would Dad think if he saw you letting him take advantage of you?"

"Are you serious? If anything, I take advantage of him, and I'm not going to get into what I mean about that!"

Sam felt his cheeks redden. He knew exactly what she was talking about, and until she said she loved him, he'd been feeling more than a little used. Normally, that didn't bother him. But when he realized that it was because he loved her, it made all the difference in the world and he did everything he could to obtain her love. His heart was fragile behind his strong front, and so it had taken a near-death situation to inspire him tell her how he felt, long after she'd said the word, because he was just too afraid of losing again.

He heard her heels on the tile floor, and from the sound he knew she was heading for the liquor cabinet. Glass clinked, a bottle top popped, and soon her heels tapped across the room back to Evan.

"Here, maybe this'll mask the tequila."

"Thanks."

"I'm really worried about you, Evan, getting involved with loan sharks. Why?"

"You cut me off, Mom. I didn't have any other way to pay off a bad debt." He paused. "But that's over. Sam and his friend Jesse took care of things, and I promise I learned my lesson."

"If you'd gone to school..."

"I would have been miserable. You know it."

"You have to have some aim in life! You can't keep cruising along depending upon my money."

"Like Sam."

It was all Sam could do to keep from barging in to try to defend himself. But the kid was right. He was shamelessly sponging off his mother. Maybe it was time for him to move out and show that he could do it, that he didn't need her money to survive on his own. He pushed off the wall and decided that once other arrangements were made, he would tell Elsa that he was leaving the hotel.

Sam walked away and missed the rest of the conversation.

"Enough of that. Let's get back to you." She folded her hands on her crossed knees and asked, "If you don't want to run the hotel, what do you want to do?"

Evan's eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to ask that. It was as if his mother and Sam were on the same wavelength, the way she and his Dad had been. "I want my own shop. I'm good with my hands, and I'm a pretty good mechanic, if I say so myself."

"You should work in a shop first, if you won't go to business school. Learn by doing."

"I already have been." Evan looked down into his glass. "Sam said I should put together a business plan and present it to you."

Elsa smiled. "He's right."

"Yeah." Evan looked up at her and smiled. "For an old washed up ex-Navy SEAL, he's kinda smart."

"Careful, mister. You're referring to the man I love." She took a sip of her drink. "Tell you what, I'll make a deal with you."

"Yes?" She had his complete attention now.

"You put this plan together with Sam, present it to me, and if I like it, I'll give you the money to either start up from scratch or buy a shop already in business. It depends upon whether I think it's worthy of a new shop or an old one. Or any at all." Her smile turned from warm to all business. "So, if you want to wow me, you and Sam better get started. You've got two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"Yes. And keep in mind, this is an investment, not a giveaway. I want to get something back."

"You've got a deal! You won't be sorry, Mom!"

"Good luck, honey." She got up, put her glass on the credenza, then returned to her desk. "Now, I have to get back to work. This hotel doesn't run itself, you know." She grinned. "Just wait until you have your own business. You'll know what I mean."

Evan let out a deep sigh, stood, and approached her side of the desk. "Thanks, Mom." He kissed her cheek. "Just wait, I'm gonna make you proud. Some day I'll be good enough."

He hurried out of the room and never saw the pained look on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Sam! Sam, open up!" Evan pounded on Sam's hotel room door. He heard the bolt unlock and the door opened. He didn't expect the gun leveled at him. "Jeez, what's that for?"

"I thought maybe you had someone on your tail." He quickly lowered the gun and stuffed it behind his back. "You okay, Ev?"

"Yeah." He looked over Sam's shoulder and noticed he had a bag packed. "Where are you going?"

"I got a lead on an apartment in Coconut Grove. Why?"

"You're leaving my mom?"

Sam shook his head. "I'd never leave her. I just decided it was time I got a little more self-sufficient."

"No, man! You can't leave now! I need your help!" Evan pushed past and entered the room. Then he turned on Sam after he closed the door and studied him. "You said you'd help me with a business proposal, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So I need to start now! Mom gave me two weeks to come up with something and if I don't impress her, she won't buy me the shop, ok, invest in the shop, and... and I don't know what I'm gonna do!"

"You'll work for it. It might do you some good." Sam tempered his smile, because he really had no business talking when he had so many things that he never earned. "Okay, relax, Evan. We'll work on this, and your Mom, well, we'll knock her socks off. Okay?"

"O-okay." He paced around the living area and fidgeted.

Sam went into the kitchen, pulled out two beers from the fridge and set them on the dining room table next to his computer. He pushed a pile of paper aside and beckoned him over. "Come on, sit down before you have a heart attack. Let's start with some research, and we'll go from there." He stared at Evan, who was frozen to the spot, looking both excited and fearful at the same time. "Well? Pull up a chair, Kid, and get ready to write down some stuff!"

That night, after the two spent several hours sketching out a plan, finding shops in the city that were for sale, and strategizing, Evan crashed on Sam's couch, his head swirling with dreams and ideas.

"Evan? Ev?" Sam pulled the half empty bottle out of Evan's hand where it rested on the floor and set it on the counter. Then he left the room and called Elsa. "Hey, baby, where are you?"

"I'm at home. I was just changing into something more comfortable for going out. Are you ready?"

"Not really. Evan is out like a light on my couch. I don't want to wake him up, because he's been through a lot the last couple days. Why don't we just do something at home?"

"You mean here?"

"Sure, why not?" He'd had a rough couple of days himself, and he knew just the thing to smooth things out.

"Okay, come on over. I'll have the chef prepare something."

"I'll be there, baby. Love you."

"Love you too, Sammy. We'll talk when you get here."

Evan was still out, so Sam leaned over the table and scribbled a note on the pad of paper, then left the hotel. He would be back bright and early the next day to continue on their project, and he wouldn't let him quit until he had his own shop. Then Elsa would see what a great kid she had and she would be proud of him. If it weren't for the coaches and mentors in his life growing up, Sam had no idea where he would be today.

After dinner and some alone time, Elsa snuggled close to Sam, looked up at him and said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Helping Evan."

He smiled and held her closer. "It's nothing. The kid feels like he'll never make you happy, and if it spurs him on to work his butt off impressing you, I'm only too happy to help. Elsa, I gotta tell you, that kid has a natural mind for business. He just didn't know it until we started going through the plan. But I think he's better off learning by doing, rather than sitting in a classroom."

"You think he can do it?"

"I know he can. But he needs a lot more than your money, sweetheart. He needs to know you don't think he's a screwup and he'll never be good enough."

"He's always been good enough. I guess I just haven't always been very good at showing it."

"Now's the time to start." He kissed her and she settled deeper into him. "I don't want to see him go through what I did with my Dad."

"Sammy." Her breath was warm against his neck.

"Yes?" His eyes locked onto hers, and he didn't expect the seriousness in them. "What is it?"

"You'll always be more than enough for me."

The words, spoken softly and carrying so much emotional weight, made Sam's heart soar. It was the best thing he'd ever heard. He could barely speak her name, he was so overwhelmed. Instead, he kissed her and showed her that she too was more than enough for him.


	6. Chapter 6

_I thought I was all done with this story, but Dusty made me realize that it was missing something. So here it is, the ending to the story!_

**Chapter 6**

_When you're a spy and you're on a mission, having your equipment be in good working order is essential. If your gun sticks or misfires, you can get killed. If you car dies in the middle of a chase, you lose your target because they keep driving away. Then all you can do is pray they keep going as you get on the phone to call for backup._

"Fi, it's me."

"Michael, are you okay?"

"Come and meet me in Hialeah. The Charger died and I lost the guy I was tailing."

"Call a tow truck and have it sent over to Evan's Garage."

"Evan's? No, Fi, this is a classic car. I don't want just anybody working on it."

"Evan isn't just anybody, Michael. He specializes in classics, and from what I hear, he's doing a fine job."

"Sam's biased."

"It's not just Sam who says so." She let out a huff. "Just give him a shot, will you?"

"Okay, but if it comes out worse than before..."

"It's not running right now. I don't think it could come out much worse."

She hadn't seen what he'd had to contend with when he inherited the car from his dad. "Well, we'll see. Just come and get me, and I'll have it towed to Evan's Garage." He could have sworn he heard a soft 'Yippee' come over the line.

Before he could ask, she said, "Wait where you are, I'll be there in a few minutes. Call the truck."

Michael called Evan's Garage after he summoned the tow truck. The woman on the line was friendly, but not very helpful with the answer he wanted to hear. "We're really busy right now, Sir, but we should be able to get someone to look at it later this afternoon."

"Alright, I'll be by in about an hour or so with the car."

"Your name, Sir? I'll get the paperwork started."

He didn't expect such efficiency, and he was impressed. By the time Michael finished giving her the information, the tow truck had arrived, and Fiona shortly thereafter. As the front end rose, he caressed the back fender, hoping that he wasn't making a mistake.

"We'll follow and meet you at Evan's," he told the truck operator. He couldn't stand to see his broken but prized possession out of his sight. He was so used to fixing it himself, but these days he was far too busy.

Fiona parked across the street from the garage and she and Michael watched the truck deliver the Charger. A young studly guy met the arrival wiping his hands on a cloth, but it wasn't Evan.

"Fi, come on. Let's see what they're up to." Michael slammed the door and hurried around the vehicle to cross the street to make sure that his baby was still intact. He knew it was. He'd been riding behind it for the past ten miles. But the fact that he was trusting it to Sam's girlfriend's son Evan made him nervous.

The tow truck driver quickly and efficiently parked the car, unhitched it, and drove away. The guy who spoke with him continued to wipe his hands as he squinted at the Charger, a smile on his face that a man got on only a few occasions. One of them involved the sight of a beautiful woman.

"Hey, where's Evan?" Michael startled the man out of his trance.

"Huh? Who are you?" The guy wore coveralls with the name Chad stitched over the left breast pocket.

"I'm Michael Westen, Chad, and this is my car. Where's Evan? If I had to bring it here, I want him to look at it."

Chad raised an eyebrow and looked Michael up and down. "Well, Mr. Westen, he's pretty busy. I think he's up to his elbows in a BMW transmission right now, so if you really wanna wait for him, it could be awhile." He smiled. "Trina's got the paperwork already written up, so if you wanna come into the office and sign it, we can at least get you that far."

"Sure. Why not."

The friendly receptionist offered him and Fiona something to drink and escorted them to a comfortable set of chairs at a table where he could read and sign the papers. Soft pleasant music played in the background as she fielded calls and set up appointments. The waiting area itself was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. It was clean, for one thing. Not a speck of grease or grime could be seen, and Michael knew for a fact that this garage had been around a long time before Evan bought it. The walls were painted a fresh coat of soothing blue that reminded him of the ocean, and the furniture was modern, with thick cushions covered in a sandy colored fabric that complimented the décor. Framed posters on the walls touted tires and auto parts. The end table held a neatly fanned stack of magazines for men and women.

"Nice place," Fiona mumbled as she took in the sight. She picked up a brochure from a stand on the table and leafed through it. "Reasonable prices. I'll have to get my oil changed here."

A door leading to the garage opened and Michael heard metal clanging and hydraulics hissing, but only as long as the door stayed open. The moment it closed, the sounds muffled to the point of being almost silent.

"Hi, Chad," Trina, the receptionist who wore slacks and a tasteful blouse greeted him. "Finished with the Peterson's car?"

"Yeah, you can give them a call. It's ready to be picked up. Where's that paperwork for the Volvo out there?"

"Uh, right here." She leafed through something behind the counter and pulled out the paperwork for him. She took the other sheaf and asked, "Anything I need to tell them?"

"Nope, it was just normal wear and tear. Not much they could have done to prevent it."

"Thanks, Chad."

"You're welcome, Trina." Chad quickly disappeared into the garage.

She looked toward Michael and Fiona and asked, "How are you doing on that paperwork, Mr. Westen?"

"I'm finished." He got up and gave it to her. "So when's the soonest anyone can look at it?"

Trina smiled at him. "Like I told you on the phone, it'll probably be later this afternoon. Ever since we opened, it's been a virtual zoo in here every day!"

"It's been six months."

She shrugged. "I guess our work speaks for itself. We haven't had to do a lot of advertising." Her phone rang. "Excuse me, Mr. Westen." Into the headset, she said, "Thank you for calling Evan's Garage. This is Trina, how may I help you today?"

"Fi, come on." Michael beckoned her to go with him toward the door that led to the garage itself. Trina was too busy looking up something on her computer to pay attention to them. He and Fiona snuck into the garage area and stopped, impressed by the flurry of activity.

The garage had four bays and a car occupied each one. One mechanic worked on each car, except for the far end, where one worked in a shallow well beneath it draining transmission fluid while another worked up top. From what little he could see of the man, Michael knew it was Evan. He let out a breath. He'd hoped to find him in a better position to talk, wanting to try to get his car bumped up to a more favored position.

"Jerry, can you get me that set of plugs?"

Michael's ears picked up on a familiar voice. He moved toward the back of the garage, scanned the cars and mechanics working on them, and the corner of his mouth tipped up as he approached the one working the second bay. "Sam? What are you doing here?"

Sam pulled out from under the hood of a Mustang and straightened as he gave Michael a big grin. Like the others, he wore a pair of crisp, light gray coveralls with his name embroidered on them. "Hey, Mikey!"

"Moonlighting?"

"Nah, just helping out. Hey, I heard the Charger was coming in. What's wrong this time?"

"I don't know. Fi suggested I bring it here, but it seems like Evan's place is pretty busy. I'd like to get it back today if possible."

Sam wiped his hands on a cloth and shook his head. "Sorry, Mike, no can do. Someone will probably get a look at it today, but unless it's something really simple, it'll be tomorrow at the earliest before it can be worked on. If you're desperate for wheels, you can borrow the Caddy."

"Here you go, Mr. Axe."

"Thanks, Jerry." He held out his hand for the box of spark plugs that the teenager brought him. He barely slowed down and continued walking toward the office. "Ever since Evan opened it's been nuts around here, so I volunteered to help him out when I can until things settle down a little and he can hire another man... or woman." His eyes wandered to the car between the Mustang and the one on which Evan worked. All the three could see was a small backside until the head came out from under the hood.

"Hi, Michael!" She waved, pushed a stray lock back into her pony tail, and returned to work.

"Ms. Reynolds works here?"

"Yeah, can you believe it?" Sam chuckled. "I was over at your Ma's a few weeks ago, and she just happened to be visiting. We got to talking, and she said she was looking for some part time work since her Ma died, just a little something to keep her busy. So I said she should apply here. I recommended her, and Evan hired her on the spot."

"Hey, Axe, quit yakking and get your butt in gear," she exclaimed, grinned and winked at him, and snapped her gum.

"Lucky we're on good terms." He chuckled. "So, anyway, tell ya what? I'll see what I can do about getting the Charger in here next, and figure out what's wrong with it. Hopefully it's something easy and I can get it back on the road by closing time."

"That would be great, Sam. Thanks!"

"Any time, Mikey. I'll call you when I find out anything."

An hour later, Sam called. "Mike, you're not gonna like this."

"What? What's wrong, Sam?"

"I know you did some electrical work on the Charger, but that whole system is like a freakin' nightmare! It's going to require a complete rework, but when it's done, it should run like a champ again."

Michael let out a breath. "Okay, so how long will it take, and how much will it cost?"

"Ev and I will work on it after hours, and we'll do it at cost. Just because you're a friend. We'll try to have it ready to pick up tomorrow."

"Wow, Sam, that's great. Thanks!"

"No problem, Mike. Oh, gotta go. Elsa's here, I've gotta look busy!" He laughed and hung up.

"Sam, how are things going," Elsa asked as she approached the front end of the Charger. "This is Michael's car, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Baby, and it's an electrical mess! It's just about closing time, and after Evan locks up, we're gonna try to get this done for Mikey overnight."

Her brow furrowed as she stared at him. "You mean you're going to work all night?"

"If we have to. Mom, Michael needs his car!" He gave her a kiss on the cheek and kept going to the office.

"I have reservations for LaManga tonight."

Sam's shoulders sagged and he let out a breath. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Look, I'll call up Mike and tell him it'll take longer, and maybe Evan can try to work on it..."

"No." Elsa held up a hand, and her eyes locked onto his with a seriousness in them. "It's okay, you take care of this. You help your friend." She smiled and caressed his face from his jawline to his chin. He liked to be scruffy and she thought it was sexy, but he shaved on the days he worked at Evan's shop, which had been almost every day since he opened, and that impressed her. Putting on the coveralls and upgrading his appearance spoke volumes about Sam's involvement and interest in Evan's business.

Sam leaned into her hand but restrained himself from touching her with his grease infused hands. "I'm sorry that I haven't been paying a lot of attention to you the last few months."

"It's okay. I'm really amazed at you, how you've taken Evan under your wing, helped him get this business started, and now you're putting almost as much sweat equity into it as he is to keep everything running smoothly."

"Well, he did all the hiring, and he has good people working for him. Along with everything else, I think he's going to make a success of it." Sam smiled. "So, do you still think he would have been better off going to Yale first?"

Elsa laughed and kissed him on the lips. "You just won't let me forget that mistake, will you."

"Just reminding you that sometimes real life is a much better teacher."

"I know that's true. It's taught me a few things." She moved her hand behind his neck and enjoyed the feel of his warm, moist skin. "I learned that I highly underestimated my son, and you."

"What do you mean?"

"When we met, you were like a firecracker, blazing hot and lots of fun. You were a nice distraction from my work and the benefit was that you were almost always available when I wanted you. I took advantage of that, and I'm afraid there were times when I saw you as nothing more than a plaything."

"I know you don't feel that way anymore."

"I surely don't. When I realized I was in love with you, things changed. Before, I would get annoyed when you couldn't be with me because I wanted you there. Well, I still want you, but I'm willing to share now. You're doing something wonderful, helping Evan fix cars, and I'm willing to take the back seat for awhile." She kissed him once again. "I'm so proud of you, Sam."

She sent a shiver down to his toes with that kiss. "Oh Baby, you better stop doing that or I might have to abandon Evan for the afternoon." His expression was enough to make her shudder with desire, and he knew it, but he wouldn't let Evan down. "Well, I better get back to work. This is going to be a challenge. I'll see you when I'm done?"

Elsa nodded, a tender smile on her face. One more touch and kiss, and she said, "Come home when you can, Sammy."

As Sam pulled the Cadillac into the circular drive at Elsa's house, the early morning sun hit the windows facing the bay and glinted off them. It hurt his eyes. He dragged himself out of the car and let himself inside, trudged upstairs to take a shower, and barely kept himself awake to drop into bed beside Elsa.

She woke up when the mattress shifted. Her eyes flew to the clock and widened when she saw the time, and she turned to face him. "Sam? Sam, did you just get home?"

His hair was wet as she ran a hand through it. The action never woke him, and she knew then that he and Evan worked literally all night on Michael's car. Her arm lay across his chest, she squeezed him, and whispered into his ear.

"I love you, Sam. Have I told you lately how good your are? You and Evan, you're both good enough." She placed a feather-light kiss on his cheek. "Sleep well, my love. You earned it."


End file.
